Paper toweling or like continuous absorbent material is normally wound onto a roll for storage prior to use. Numerous dispensers for storing and causing toweling to be dispensed are known. These dispensers typically require the user to actuate a mechanism for causing the roll to unwind and thereby dispense toweling.
The control of infectious disease has increased in importance recently. This is particularly true in hospitals and other medical facilities. Contact with the operating lever of a paper towel dispenser can result in the operating lever becoming contaminated, thereby permitting the infection to be spread to subsequent users. Avoidance of contact with the operating lever is not possible, however, if toweling is to be dispensed.
Active infrared sensors have been disclosed as being useful in causing operation of a paper towel dispenser. An active infrared sensor requires an infrared emitting element for generating the beam and a sensor for measuring reflected beam energy. Such a sensor is not capable, however, of differentiating between animate and inanimate objects.
Those skilled in the art will understand that there is a need for a toweling dispenser which is operated when an electronic sensor detects the presence of an animate body requiring toweling. Differentiation between animate and inanimate bodies prevents unnecessary dispensing of toweling, such as could be caused if some article was placed adjacent or proximate an active infrared sensor. Animate bodies generate infrared radiation of a unique frequency range. The disclosed invention utilizes a passive infrared sensor which monitors for energy within that range as a means for differentiating between animate and inanimate bodies.